First nonstop flight from Beijing to Houston takes off

Nonstop flights home to Beijing are no longer just an idea to toy with for Houston grad student Jodie Wang, 26.

Nonstop flights home to Beijing are no longer just an idea to toy with for Houston grad student Jodie Wang, 26.

Photo: Johnny Hanson, Staff

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Jodie Wang, 26, a PhD candidate in psychology at the University of Houston from Beijing, China, said the new direct AirChina flight from Houston to Beijing will save her time and headaches when she goes to visit her family or when her family comes to see her Wednesday, July 10, 2013, in Houston.
Wang said flying non-direct to Beijing usually takes her more than 20 hours with layovers, checking through customs and delays. The new direct flight from Houston to Beijing will take about 14 hours.
( Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle ) less

Jodie Wang, 26, a PhD candidate in psychology at the University of Houston from Beijing, China, said the new direct AirChina flight from Houston to Beijing will save her time and headaches when she goes to ... more

Photo: Johnny Hanson, Staff

Image 3 of 3

Jodie Wang, 26, a PhD candidate in psychology at the University of Houston from Beijing, China, said the new direct AirChina flight from Houston to Beijing will save her time and headaches when she goes to visit her family or when her family comes to see her Wednesday, July 10, 2013, in Houston.
Wang said flying non-direct to Beijing usually takes her more than 20 hours with layovers, checking through customs and delays. The new direct flight from Houston to Beijing will take about 14 hours.
( Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle ) less

Jodie Wang, 26, a PhD candidate in psychology at the University of Houston from Beijing, China, said the new direct AirChina flight from Houston to Beijing will save her time and headaches when she goes to ... more

Photo: Johnny Hanson, Staff

First nonstop flight from Beijing to Houston takes off

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For Jodie Wang, trips back home to China can take more than 24 hours after connections, layovers and trips through customs.

The University of Houston doctoral student moved here four years ago, and said Air China's new nonstop flights to and from Beijing - which will shave several hours off the trip - arrive at a perfect time.

Wang had worried about her grandparents and parents, who do not speak English well, making connections in other cities when they visit the U.S. for the first time for her graduation next year.

She said the news was welcome across the local Chinese community, which numbers more than 70,000 in the Greater Houston area.

"Everybody was so excited about this, especially those living in Beijing and people whose families live there," Wang said.

More Information

Bringing Beijing a little closer

- Air China's first nonstop flight from Beijing to arrive in Houston at 3:30 p.m. Thursday

- Average flight time is 13 hours, 40 minutes

- Two meals served on board

- 311 seats on Boeing 777-300ER, including business class, premium economy and economy

- Flights depart Beijing Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday;

- Flights depart Houston Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, Monday

- Roundtrip tickets currently start at $1,458

Sources: Houston Airport System, Air China

The inaugural flight will land in Houston on Thursday afternoon. For the last three decades, Air China has flown nonstop to only three U.S. cities - New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco - from its main hub in Beijing. Only seven U.S. cities currently offer nonstop flights to the Chinese capital.

"It will be the first city added in over 30 years," said Zhihang Chi, Air China's vice president and general manager for North America. "That's obviously a big deal."

Global travelers on rise

Air China, flag carrier of the People's Republic, said the new-generation Boeing 777-300ER jetliners are scheduled to fly between Beijing Capital International and Bush Intercontinental airports four times a week.

They join other nonstop international routes from Houston, including to Istanbul, Turkey. City leaders said it and the expansion of Southwest Airline's international hub at Hobby Airport are pivotal factors in efforts to attract more conventions, business and tourism.

The number of global travelers through Houston increased in 2012 to about 8.7 million, up 130,000 from the previous year, the Houston Airport System reported.

The region's foreign-born population exceeds 1.3 million, the system said. The Asian-born population is nearly 380,000. Nine Chinese companies have subsidiaries in Greater Houston.

Yet as Air China considered expanding its U.S. network, Houston did not always seem the most obvious choice to executives, Chi said. Chicago, Seattle and Atlanta were also mentioned.

"If you look at Houston 20 years ago, it was written off, but the city has transformed and reformed itself," he said. "Without a direct flight, it's been growing by leaps and bounds. It's going to grow even more rapidly."

Chi said the airline chose Houston primarily because of the increasing number of business travelers to and from China. Other factors included the city's diversity, the number of Chinese immigrants here, and even the popularity of retired Rockets star Yao Ming, who will be on the first flight, he said.

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"This flight definitely, without a doubt, is going to put Houston on the map," Chi declared. "It creates a huge psychological impact. It's not a big deal to go to China anymore. That will bring Houston and China a lot closer."

Mayor Annise Parker, Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn were among officials who mounted a letter-writing campaign to Air China officials and Chinese leaders in support of the route, Chi said.

Parker said the Air China flight is a culmination of many years of work. More than 500 Houston companies report doing business in China and total trade between Houston and China has been growing briskly since 2000, she said.

"With this new direct link, we can only envision the additional trade and business opportunities to come," the mayor said.

Direct link to jobs

A 2007 study by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. showed one transoceanic flight at its international airport annually sustains 3,120 direct and indirect jobs in Southern California.

Yali Zou, director of the Asian American Studies Center at UH, predicted the new route also will increase opportunities for students to study abroad and could even encourage more Chinese immigration.

"There are a lot of advantages this city can take from this kind of flight," Zou said.

Charles Foster, immigration attorney at Houston's Foster Quan and chairman of the Asia Society Texas Center, said China's needs in the energy sector will grow astronomically. In addition to energy investments, he said, real estate developments and Chinese tourism could increase.

Foster said Chinese tourists spend more per capita than any other nationality while traveling abroad.

Nanxun Dai, a Chinese businessman who has lived in the U.S. for 25 years, said he travels to China every other month for his company, which provides technical assistance for oil and gas companies. He's already booked one of the new flights.

"When I got the news, I got quite excited," Dai said. "I think it's going to help a lot also for Houston. If traveling becomes easier, more people will be inclined to do business between the two cities."